Joshua was born at 6:18 a.m. Jan. 1, 2005, an hour and a half after his great-grandmother died.

Laurel said within four hours of his birth, the media were there. Her best friend recorded all the Bruhls’ TV appearances for them, which Joshua still enjoys watching.

“He loves watching the day he was born,” Laurel said. “His birthday usually gets overshadowed with the holidays so at least it’s a fun thing for him.

“He started life with a bang. … He started off right,” Laurel said.

After Joshua’s birth, the community rallied around the family, Laurel said.

“We just had people calling the hospital and calling our home and leaving gifts on the steps,” she said. “They saw us go through the grieving with Nathan and everybody was excited to see Josh there and healthy.”

The hospital released Laurel and Joshua so they could attend her grandmother’s funeral, where the baby continued to be a symbol of hope for the family.

“We sat up front and the uncles who are never emotional are sitting there, looking at him and crying,” Laurel said.

Laurel and Steven, a cardiologist for Mercy, now live in Bowling Green with their children. Joshua will turn 9 this year.

The third-grader enjoys Legos, reading, history and playing on the computer, Laurel said.